#SIGNALS
August 2026
Your August edition of #SIGNALS is here. We’re delighted to announce the launch of the CHEF Approved own brand page for your websites and we also take a look at the CHEF Approved Ice Cream range. There’s also a look ahead to what’s landing in the coming months.
Please encourage your team to sign up so they get their own copy delivered straight to their inbox. And if anyone has missed earlier issues, you can catch up anytime in the #Signals library.
CHEF Approved Web Page - AVAILABLE NOW!
We have built a ready made page that sits within your site, wrapped in your branding. It introduces your customers to the full own brand range, CHEF Approved, CHEF Prestige, CORE Refreshments and CLEAN Solutions, shows how the products work across profit, cost and education sectors, and makes clear this is your own brand.
We look after the page centrally, keeping the content current and refreshing it over time as ranges develop, so all you need to do is add the link to your website.
A number of members already have theirs live. To add the page to your website, email richard@thewholesalegroup.co.uk
You can view the page here:
Beyond the Scoop: 7 Creative Ice Cream Ideas
A Treat Beyond Summer
Typically associated with hot summer days, ice cream’s icy and revitalising sensation provides a soothing respite from the heat. However, its appeal extends far beyond the warmer months. Whether it’s a steaming pudding in winter or a chilled milkshake in spring, ice cream can be a delightful accompaniment in any season.
“Ice cream knows no season—it’s a dessert for all year-round occasions.”
Getting Creative with Ice Cream
Ice cream can play an essential role in various dishes and recipes. It can be a classic tray bake for a sundae, paired with CHEF Approved Chocolate Brownie or a CHEF Approved Caramel Shortbread and topped with chocolate or toffee sauce. It can also be creatively used in ice cream cookies or doughnut sandwiches, perfect for Instagram-worthy photos.
Here are some ideas to explore:
The Affogato
An affogato is an Italian dessert that features a scoop of vanilla ice cream crowned with a shot of espresso. We’ve put our spin on this traditional Italian treat by pouring espresso over ice cream and using a Tiramisu Cake for an added touch of luxury.
Stunning Sundaes
Sundaes are ice cream dishes with added ingredients such as fruit, nuts, and syrup. Here are three creative suggestions to experiment with:
Vanilla Bliss: Use the CHEF Approved Vanilla Soft Scoop Ice Cream with CHEF Approved Caramel Traybake, toffee sauce, white chocolate, and fudge drops on top.
ChocoLux Dream Delight: Chocolate ice cream, Boston Brownie, chocolate sauce, and dark and white chocolate chips.
Strawberry Serenade: CHEF Approved Soft Scoop Strawberry Ice Cream with Indulgent Victoria Sponge, strawberry sauce, and topped with strawberry sprinkles.
Doughnut Ice Cream
The trending doughnut ice cream combines classic doughnuts with innovative ice cream flavours, redefining traditional desserts and captivating a broad audience.
CHEF Approved Cookie Puck Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cookie Puck Ice Cream Sandwiches are a popular dessert featuring ice cream between two baked CHEF Approved cookies. Their popularity has skyrocketed with the emergence of artisan bakeries and gourmet ice cream shops, which have boosted their status, making them a sophisticated yet fun dessert choice.
Crazy Freakshakes
Originally from Australia, Freakshakes are extravagant milkshakes that often combine ice cream, cake, chocolate, and biscuits into an indulgent treat. These over-the-top shakes are a visual delight and have become a phenomenon in UK cafes, appealing to fans of unique and photogenic desserts.
Ice Cream Fusion Ensemble
The Ice Cream Fusion Ensemble combines crunchy cookies with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, enhanced by fruit jelly cubes and white chocolate bark. Topped with strawberry sauce, meringue pieces, and macaron, this dessert offers a unique blend of flavours and textures in a visually appealing treat.
Children’s Build-Your-Own Loaded Ice Cream
Children’s Build-Your-Own Loaded Ice Cream is a popular UK treat. Kids can customise their ice cream with candy floss, chocolate buttons, fudge pieces, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles. This engaging and colourful dessert is perfect for parties and family outings, offering young dessert lovers a fun and tasty experience.
Ice cream extends beyond summer enjoyment, becoming a versatile element for year-round innovative desserts. From affogatos to Ice Cream Fusion Ensembles, these seven ideas redefine ice cream’s appeal, appealing to diverse tastes and ages.
CHEF Approved Soft Scoop Salted Caramel Ice Cream
- Smooth & Creamy
- Grade AA Factory
- Packed: 4ltr
Smooth, creamy, and full of flavour — CHEF Approved Soft Scoop Salted Caramel Ice Cream brings indulgence to your dessert menu at outstanding value. Produced in a BRC Grade AA, nut-free factory, it delivers consistent quality and a rich, sweet-salted caramel taste that stands out on its own or as part of a dessert.
This is part of a wider range of CHEF Approved Soft Scoop Ice Cream, also featuring Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla flavours. These cost-effective ice creams have great taste, easy scooping and they are ideal as a dessert on its own, a side to other dishes, or as a base for milkshakes. A practical choice for restaurants, cafés, pubs, schools, hospitals, and care homes.
Ice Cream Sales Guide
This sales guide gives you everything you need to know about the CHEF Approved Ice Cream range including soft scoop and CHEF Prestige Madagascan Vanilla flavour.
Inside, you’ll find product descriptions, pack sizes, key selling points and serving suggestions, all supported by high-quality lifestyle photography.
CHEF Approved Range Booklet
We have recently launched a CHEF Approved Own Brand range booklet. This 30 page document will give you and your customers insight into the CHEF Approved brand, our standards and a list of all products available to you in CHEF Approved, CHEF Prestige, CLEAN Solutions and CORE.
We will update this document on a monthly basis to incorporate NPD, and we will share with updates through #SIGNALS.
Upcoming Launches
Please find below a launch schedule for the following own brand products:
September 2026
– CORE Spring Water
– CHEF Approved Easy Cook Rice
– CHEF Approved Classic Cake Range
– CHEF Prestige Cooking Wines
October 2026
– CHEF Approved Yorkshire Puddings
– CHEF Approved Croissant
– CHEF Approved Pan Au Chocolate
In the meantime, keep an eye out on the blog section of Accelerate for further updates on your own brand.
CORE Spring Water - Coming Soon!
– 24 x 330ml
– 24 x 500ml
– Tetra Pak
– Recycable
CORE Spring Water Tetra Pak is an eco-alternative for customers who don’t like plastic and want a more sustainable alternative.
When DRS (Deposit Return Scheme) launches in October 2027, all plastic will have a 20p per bottle premium making a 24 Tetra Pak a better commercial alternative.
Further updates will be communicated on the blog, and the launch will be supported by Septembers #SIGNALS.
AVAILABLE: LATE AUGUST 2026
The Wholesale Group - Foodservice Fair
Please find details for The Wholesale Group Foodservice Fair which will take place on Thursday 17th September at Stratford-Upon-Avon Race Course.
Discover the latest products, trends, and innovations in the foodservice industry. This is your chance to network, sample and connect directly with the best in the business.
CHEF Approved will have a stand at the event, and we will be showcasing new launches including CORE Spring Water and CHEF Prestige Cooking Wines.
DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TODAY – SO YOU DON’T MISS OUT!
PR Round Up – August 2026
Read all about it – we have featured multiple times throughout the month of July in trade magazines and their online editions. Take a look at our latest releases featuring the recent launches of CHEF Prestige Coffee, CHEF Approved Cookie Pucks and the upcoming launch of CORE Spring Water. Plus there is a fantastic interview with The Wholesale Groups Tom Gittins about the benefits of buying groups.
Contact
Kindly forward comments and suggestions to: richard@thewholesalegroup.co.uk